Senior Staff Software Engineer

Job Title

Senior Staff Software Engineer

Role Summary

Senior individual contributor on a team that builds software tools for semiconductor chip design, focused on DFT automation, pattern generation, and CAD functionality. The role delivers reliable, high-performance tooling used by customers in production design flows and works closely with hardware and cross-functional engineering teams.

Expected to design and implement algorithms and systems-level features, diagnose and fix production issues, and mentor junior engineers.

Experience Level

Senior-level — requires 5+ years of software development experience, ideally in EDA, semiconductor, or systems software domains.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include designing, implementing, and maintaining tools that support DFT and verification workflows; improving performance and reliability; and collaborating across teams.

• Design, develop, and debug software tools for chip design workflows (DFT automation, pattern generation, CAD features).
• Build and optimize algorithms and data structures for hierarchical design data and large-scale verification.
• Work across software and hardware boundaries to influence performance and usability trade-offs.
• Troubleshoot production issues and coordinate with customer-facing teams to deliver fixes.
• Collaborate on projects involving DFT methodologies, IEEE 1687, and pattern porting workflows.
• Mentor and review work of junior engineers; participate in design reviews and technical guidance.
• Contribute across the software development lifecycle: requirements, design, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Requirements

Key qualifications and skills needed to perform the role. Items labeled "Must-have" are required; "Nice-to-have" are preferred.

• Must-have: 5+ years of software development experience, strong proficiency in C/C++, and solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and performance optimization.
• Must-have: Hands-on experience with operating system internals, compilers, or low-level systems programming.
• Must-have: Demonstrated ability to debug complex software issues and deliver effective solutions independently.
• Must-have: Experience with hardware-software integration or close collaboration with hardware teams.
• Nice-to-have: Prior work in Hierarchical DFT, IEEE 1687, pattern porting, or CAD tool development.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with version control, code review practices, and automated testing.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: Synopsys

Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA

Synopsys is a leading company in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP solutions. It provides tools and services for designing and verifying complex semiconductor devices and systems. The company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, helping engineers innovate and deliver higher-quality products faster. Synopsys is committed to advancing technology standards and offers a range of software and hardware solutions to its clients globally.